Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2023 *Starred Review* This sequel to Brown's explosive Ghanaian contemporary fantasy brings all the action and heart of the first book and turns it up to 11. Serwa’s growing pains have only increased since the discovery of her true lineage, and she must battle not only against the agency she’s always wanted to join but also with who and what she is and everything she’s ever been taught. This struggle keeps Serwa extremely relatable. As she learns to control her new powers, she’s going through vampire puberty and human puberty, too, with all the necessary raging emotions (including a first crush on her most hated rival). And while most of us may not be vampire hunters who just found out they’re half vampire, many understand how it feels to be caught between two worlds, to not know who you really are, to feel betrayed by the people you trusted most, and, above all, to question the beliefs you’ve always held. The themes of friendship are as strong and heartfelt here as in the first book, but it’s the burgeoning relationship between Serwa and her aunt, once her sworn enemy, that really speaks to the message of the story, which is beautifully related in the author’s note: “I challenge anyone who reads this book to ask themselves exactly who gets to decide what makes another person a monster and why.” - Copyright 2023 Booklist.